SEPTEMBER 14
The 14th brings some interesting titles. First off Pixar will re-release Finding Nemo in 3D, which, just like Indiana Jones, will be hitting Blu-ray this year, but this one doesn’t arrive until December 4 (preorder here) as they will definitely try to add upwards of another $100 million to the coffers before giving way to the month’s only other animated title on the 28th.
Another 3D title is also arriving that same weekend as the Resident Evil franchise enjoys its fifth film with Resident Evil: Retribution. This is a franchise that isn’t necessarily “big” in the States, but boy does it do business overseas. The first four films brought in $202 million domestically, but a whopping $675.8 million worldwide. So as long as Milla Jovovich is willing to wake up naked as Alice with her hubby directing I’m sure Screen Gems will be happy to continue counting the receipts.
One film that only recently jumped into the release schedule is 10 Years, which I saw last year in Toronto when it was called Ten Year. The high school reunion flick stars a massive ensemble cast including Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Justin Long, Kate Mara, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Chris Pratt, Ron Livingston, Lynn Collins and Oscar Isaac and it’s not too bad, but all those characters and all those plot lines just don’t tie up too nicely by the film’s end. You can read my full review right here, though I wouldn’t be surprised if they edited it from what I saw over a year ago.
One film already gaining some buzz is the Richard Gere starrer Arbitrage, but it isn’t Gere that’s getting the attention, it’s co-star Nate Parker who must show a little more than he did in Red Tails as Variety is calling him one of ten upcoming actors to watch. That’s some high praise considering he’s not only opposite Gere here but also Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth and Brit Marling.
Then we come to Josh Radnor‘s latest flick after 2010’s Happythankyoumoreplease in Liberal Arts in which Radnor stars alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney, John Magaro, Elizabeth Reaser and Zac Efron. The film sounds like a typical love story of “guy falls for an exciting girl” and plays out from there. I can’t say I’ll be rushing to see it.
Now, the one film many have been waiting for finally arrives. Paul Thomas Anderson‘s The Master is set to hit limited theaters on the 14th and expand the following week, playing in select cities in 70mm. Anderson last brought us There Will be Blood to contemplate and before that films that include Boogie Nights, Punch Drunk Love and Magnolia. With Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams along for the ride it looks like he’s challenging audiences once again and I, for one, can’t wait to dive into the story of a man (Hoffman) that creates a belief system that catches on with lost souls, one of which is Phoenix’s character.
The film has long been said to be an exploration of Scientology and while those involve continue to reject the comparison this is surely a film that will cause waves soon enough. It’s one not to miss.
